Birthdays and Birth Stories

Birthdays are a big deal at our house. The world seems to hold still as we simply pause life and pour as much delight and love into the birthday person as we possible can.

Birthday activities are planned, favorite meal preparations are made, there is birthday Starbucks coffee, and, of course, cake and presents and a special birthday balloon from Daddy.I love love love celebrating birthdays!!

But it’s what happens the night before a birthday that really allows me to go all out and dig in deep emotionally and relationally when it comes to celebrating life.It’s the Birthday Cry.
My sweet husband knows the routine well and hasn’t missed a beat in years and over 40 (yes, forty!) kid birthdays.

After the kids are all tucked in and I’ve said my special goodnight to the birthday child for the last time at their current age, we climb into bed, he holds out his arms, and he waits for me to talk as I cuddle in close to his daddy heart, my team-mate in parenting.
I gather my thoughts that have been brewing all day and my words spill out in
laughter, memories, and tears.
Lots of “remember when…” or
“I love how she…” or
“I’m so proud of how he…”
We reminisce, look to the future, pray for our baby, and I cry my heart out as I bid farewell to another year with that precious little one who is slowly becoming not as little, whether they are turning 3 or 13.

Parenting takes a special kind of courage, and I am so blessed to be able to do it with a man who takes both celebrating and remembering seriously in order that we can truly dig in and be engaged for all that lies ahead of us as we walk hand in hand into a new year!

This week we celebrated our baby’s first sweet year. In sharing his birth story I hope that it touches your heart, and encourages you to lean into the preciousness of life itself.
Because no matter the age or the stage you are in life is worth celebrating well!